Chapter 82
Winter has come again, and a blizzard has descended, burying the earth.
The snow that year came suddenly and with great force. Within two nights, it collapsed houses in several prefectures and cities. In particular, the snow destroyed villages in remote counties near mountains and buried many people to death.
The disaster was merciless, resulting in a large number of refugees. The government was overwhelmed and had to send out appeals for help to various martial arts sects. Yunhua Palace and several other prestigious sects immediately sent their disciples to provide assistance. Other smaller sects also launched disaster relief measures after receiving the appeals. However, the winter was long and spring was still far away. The number of refugees was large and they were scattered, so how to settle them became a problem.
"Open the door! Open the door now! We're going to freeze to death if you don't open the door!"
"Yes, please open the city gates quickly, sirs! Give us a way out!"
"It's the dead of winter, where would an epidemic come from? If you don't open the city gates and let us pass, we'll just starve and freeze to death. Can you bear to do that?!"
...
Cangjun is located in the south, and in previous years it rarely snowed this much. This year, it is unknown which deity displeased them. Several cities in the north that usually experience snowfall are unharmed, but the south has been unexpectedly hit by disaster.
These refugees were homeless and had wandered all the way here. Although there were porridge stalls at the city gate every day to provide some food so they wouldn't starve, the snow was still falling. They had no thick winter clothes to keep warm and no place to sleep. Countless people died in the snow every day. To make matters worse, the authorities had closed the city gates for the past two days, and no one came to deliver the porridge, as if they were deliberately left to fend for themselves. As a result, they gathered at the city gate, determined to make a scene and demand an explanation.
The dark gate remained tightly shut, and the guards on the four city walls ignored the situation below, standing upright like statues, determined not to pay any attention.
Seeing the officials' indifference and their indifference after all that commotion, the refugees became enraged. They pointed at the people on the city wall and cursed them, picking up stones and digging up mud to throw at them, creating a deafening noise.
Outside, chaos reigned, but inside Cangjun City, nothing seemed to happen. Vendors thronged the streets, restaurants and music halls remained open, and teahouses and theaters thrived. No one could hear the roars and cries from outside the city walls; separated by a single gate, it was as if two different worlds existed.
Only atop a bell tower near the city gate, two people were gazing at the scene outside.
The curtain was rolled up, and a mahogany table was placed under the eaves. A round hole was cut out in the center of the table, and charcoal was burning brightly underneath. A copper pot was placed on it, and hot soup, as thick and fresh as goat's milk, was boiling continuously. It attracted a wild cat to climb up the roof beam and lie on it to sneak a sniff of the aroma.
The woman holding the chopsticks was a beauty, with black hair, a lovely face, a gentle smile, and dressed in red.
Her red dress wasn't a bright, vibrant red, but a deep, unfathomable red, understated and even somewhat low-key, with a hint of bluish-black in it, making it an impure red.
In short, it suits her very well.
Qin Zheng stood by the corridor, her gaze fixed on the chaos outside the city. She said, "These past few days, the leader has ordered the gates to be closed and the porridge to be stopped. These people are fighting for their lives, so naturally they're going to make a scene. After all, it's an official document from the government. It's not appropriate for us martial arts sects to be so ruthless after receiving it. So, I don't understand what the leader means by this."
Nangong Min cooked a piece of mutton in the hot pot and casually threw it on the ground. She watched as the stray cat jumped down and cautiously sniffed the mutton. She said casually, "What you said is quite interesting."
Qin Zheng looked puzzled.
“Saving lives is a matter for reputable sects to handle,” Nangong Min said. “What does it have to do with our Ziwei Sect?”
Qin Zheng leaned against a pillar in the corridor: "So we just let them make a scene like this?"
The wild cat was bold and showed no fear in front of people. It was starving and didn't care about anything else, eating with gusto. Nangong Min found it amusing and threw a few more pieces of mutton to it, saying, "What a commotion! It's quite entertaining for a lonely person like me to hear this." She leaned back in her chair, her gaze still fixed on the cat, and said casually, "Why should my Ziwei Sect be responsible for things that the government doesn't want to deal with? I don't care about those disaster relief funds. If they want to enter my Ziwei Sect's city, even the emperor would have to wait for me to open the gate. Once they've calmed down, I'll drive them away."
Qin Zheng asked, "Where are we rushing to?"
Nangong Min laughed: "We'll head to wherever Yunhua Palace is."
Qin Zheng understood and immediately said, "Understood, I will instruct someone to do it right away."
"Before you kick them out, remember to collect their household registrations," Nangong Min said, sipping mutton with interest but not eating. "We've had enough of these past two years of peace and quiet; it's time to add some excitement to Yunhua Palace."
After she finished speaking, she looked up again. High above, snow was falling heavily, as light as bird feathers, but when it accumulated, it could kill a person.
So she said lightly, "As for my holy sword, it should be returned to its rightful owner."
·
At midnight, a wail suddenly rang out outside Yaoding City.
The sound was shrill and mournful, mixed with the voices of men, women, and children. It was carried by the wind and swept across the entire city in an instant, like the howling of countless wild ghosts, filled with resentment. Everyone was so frightened that they lit lamps, put on their clothes, and pushed open their doors to look out.
"Who's howling like a banshee outside?"
Upon hearing the sound, several night patrol disciples led their men to the city gate, where rows of torches lit up in the night, illuminating the people and scenery outside the gate.
Suddenly, a large number of refugees of unknown origin gathered in one place, crying and shouting and trying to break down the door. At a glance, there were swarms of people everywhere. It was hard not to be surprised by such a scene in the middle of the night.
"What's going on? Why are there so many more people all of a sudden?"
"They all look like refugees, but didn't we already settle all the refugees in the surrounding area? Where did these come from?"
"Tell them to stop making a scene. Open the door first and ask them what's going on."
...
These disciples had some say and had been in charge of the refugee affairs for the past half month. After discussing it, they decided to open the city gates first and then make further arrangements after figuring out the whole story.
No sooner had they opened the door a crack than they heard a deafening clatter of hooves behind them, followed by a loud shout: "A bunch of idiots! Who told you to open the door?!"
Hearing the commotion, the disciples were naturally taken aback. Turning around, they saw a group of people approaching rapidly in the night, carrying torches and looking fierce, like a thousand troops charging in.
The rider at the very front was a young woman, probably around twenty-nine years old. She wore a light green silk dress that resembled lotus leaves, and her appearance was quite striking and beautiful, but her expression exuded a coldness and arrogance.
Upon seeing her face, the disciples knew something was wrong.
Sure enough, the girl and her entourage rushed towards the city gate. She abruptly reined in her horse in front of the disciples and launched into a tirade: "Who gave you the right to open the gate? These people are of unknown origin, clamoring to enter the city in the middle of the night. We don't even know if they're sick or not. How could your Yunhua Palace so carelessly let them in? Have you considered the safety of the people in the city? Close the gate right now!"
If anyone in Yaoding City dares to directly challenge Yunhua Palace, it would undoubtedly be this eldest daughter of the Duan family.
The Duan family is a prominent family in Yaoding City and has many connections with various martial arts sects. Apart from renowned sects like Yunhua Palace and Mingyue Tower, most of the smaller sects have received financial support from the Duan family. As a result, the Duan family is known in the martial arts world as generous benefactors. Although they do not participate in martial arts conflicts, they are still supported by many martial arts practitioners. The eldest daughter of the Duan family has learned various skills from different sects since childhood and is also pampered by her parents. She is used to acting arrogantly and doesn't even respect Yunhua Palace. She is practically the little tyrant of Yaoding City.
Although the disciples had dealt with her quite a bit in the past two weeks, they were still uncomfortable being scolded by her and couldn't help but retort.
“We’re not opening the door indiscriminately. They’re making such a scene outside; we can’t just ignore it, can we?”
"Exactly! It's freezing cold, and so many people have come. There's no reason to just ignore them. Will you take responsibility if something happens?"
"Your Duan family only knows how to expel refugees, and you don't even know how to help them. So what right do you have to stop us from rescuing people!"
Duan Ning gripped her riding whip and sneered, "Just because my Duan family is the richest in Yaoding City, and just because I'm the daughter of the richest man, which person in this city doesn't listen to my Duan family? What is your Yunhua Palace anyway! If I say no, then no!"
Seeing her being so unreasonable, the disciples scoffed in unison, "Nonsense!"
Duan Ning snorted, "You dare to insult me?" She leaped off her horse, stood in front of the gate, head held high, and declared, "Say what you want, but you're not allowed to open it!"
As soon as she set off, her remaining subordinates dismounted and blocked the entrance, determined to oppose Yunhua Palace.
The disciples were so angry they gritted their teeth, but they couldn't do anything to her, so the two sides were deadlocked and neither was willing to give in.
"Since you refuse to open the door, then tell me, what are your plans for dealing with these people?"
Duan Ning coldly replied, "How you deal with them is your Yunhua Palace's business. As a prominent family in Yaoding City, my Duan family only cares about the safety of the city's residents. In any case, we won't let them in!"
The leader of the disciples, suppressing his anger, said, "They are just refugees! They are not bandits! Why are you making such a fuss!"
"I don't care!" Duan Ning said firmly, his hands clasped together. "Either you go out yourselves and get a doctor to check if they're sick, or we'll talk about it when it's light!"
She refused to open the door and had no good solution, only knowing how to obstruct everyone's business. The disciples were furious, and after much persuasion, they had no choice but to wave their hands and say, "Let's go! Let's ask Senior Sister Lu to come and uphold justice!"
The refugees had been driven here by the Ziwei Sect and thought they would find a place to stay once they reached the territory under the jurisdiction of Yunhua Palace. However, some people still didn't care about their lives and wanted to turn them away. As a result, the situation outside became even more chaotic.
"The government asked your martial arts sects to help settle us, and this is how you do your job after receiving the disaster relief funds?"
"Is there no justice left?! We are innocent victims of this disaster, and we just hope you can accept us. The Ziwei Sect doesn't care, and neither does the Yunhua Palace. Are you trying to drive us to our deaths?!"
"Don't listen to this girl! Who does she think she is? Come here, all of you, smash this door down!"
"Yes! Smash the door!"
·
Enraged, the refugees huddled together and rushed toward the door.
Duan Ning happened to be standing right in the middle. He had forgotten to close the door in time during his argument with the Yunhua disciples, so he was the first to be hit. He was kicked by a man and fell face down onto the stone road, his nose bleeding.
Her kung fu wasn't particularly good; she just picked up a couple of moves from one school and a couple from another, which was quite disorganized. Faced with these refugees who were already out of their minds, Duan Ning could only take the beating and had no power to fight back.
She was particularly fond of judging people by their appearance, even her servants and maids had to be good-looking. The subordinates she brought out this time were the same; they were all very pleasing to the eye, but they were all just pretty faces with no real skills. They couldn't even protect Duan Ning and the others, and she herself was hit on the head with a stone and bled profusely.
By this time, all the Yunhua disciples had left. Apart from Duan Ning and his group, there were only a few government officials who were huddled on the city wall, completely drunk and of no use.
Duan Ning was terrified, her face covered in blood. She was surrounded by refugees who were yelling and cursing at her. Her men had already fled to save their own lives, and no one cared about her.
Helpless, Duan Ning dared not be arrogant any longer and could only scramble away, begging for mercy: "Stop hitting me! Stop hitting me..."
However, the refugees had clearly seen her blocking the Yunhua disciples from opening the door, so how could they let her off so easily? The more Duan Ning begged for mercy and tried to evade, the harder the crowd beat her, wanting to vent their anger and resentment on her.
Duan Ning was almost beaten to the point of vomiting blood. She was terrified, desperate, and helpless. She tried her best to break free but couldn't. Just as she was about to draw her sword to force them back, she realized that her sword had been lost at some point. Duan Ning fell to the ground, enduring the punches and kicks from the refugees, and finally burst into tears.
Suddenly, a slender yet strong hand reached over the crowd and firmly grasped her.
Duan Ning's vision was blurred from crying, and she could no longer see anything clearly. In her hazy state, she saw the shadow of that hand and thought that someone was going to attack her again. She screamed and struggled to break free, but the next moment, that hand pulled her back with perfect accuracy. Duan Ning felt her body lighten and was lifted into the air.
Snowflakes fell in the night, and the wind was biting. Duan Ning's dress swayed in the wind. She watched helplessly as she was lifted further and further off the ground, thinking that this person was going to throw her to her death. She struggled hysterically, but when she looked up, she saw a fair and gentle face.
She was a young girl, about sixteen or seventeen years old, dressed in flowing white. She was like a pear blossom in spring, pure white and untouched by dust. At that moment, the wind and snow were swirling, and the chill was penetrating, yet she wore only a thin dress. She was like a light and agile white goose. The firelight reflected on her fair and serene face, making her appear gentle as water, yet calm as a pine tree.
Duan Ning felt a sudden brightness before her eyes, forgetting even to shout. In that brief moment, she glanced at the girl, and after a dizzying spin, the two landed steadily on the ground.
A slightly sweet fragrance suddenly wafted in the wind, somewhat like orchids and somewhat like daffodils, and it smelled very fresh and pleasant.
Duan Ning felt like all the bones in her body were about to fall apart. Her legs were weak and she couldn't stand up. Just as she was about to fall again, the girl reached out and helped her up. She first looked around at the scenery, and then very considerately helped her to a teahouse and gently pressed her down to sit down.
Soon, a pure white silk handkerchief was handed to Duan Ning.
"You're injured, let me wipe it off."
Hearing the soft and melodious voice, Duan Ning wiped the blood from her face. For some reason, she was too embarrassed to take the handkerchief with her dirty hands. She looked up at the girl in front of her and let out a silent gasp of amazement.
—My God! This is so beautiful!
The girl, unaware of the source of her surprised and ardent gaze, simply continued handing over the handkerchief, smiled, and said, "Don't be afraid, it's all over now."
Duan Ning looked at her hand, then at his own, and for the first time, he appeared somewhat reserved in front of someone, saying, "Your handkerchief is so clean, mine... no, no."
Seeing her raise her sleeve to wipe the blood from her nose, the girl seemed to find it somewhat amusing. She then gently stuffed the handkerchief into Duan Ning's hand and said, "It's alright, you can have it."
Duan Ning said "Oh," glanced at her again, and then began to wipe her face with the handkerchief. Before she could wipe for long, she heard another voice from the side: "Xiao Qiu! How are you doing over here?"
Upon hearing the call, the girl immediately replied, "Bai Ling? There's a girl here who's injured. Could you take her to the clinic for a checkup?"
As soon as he finished speaking, another girl in a white dress flew down towards this spot.
Duan Ning glanced at her a few times and thought that this girl named Bai Ling was not very good-looking, so he had no interest in paying attention to her. He then heard the girl from before say, "Senior Sister Lu has not arrived yet. I will go and comfort the refugees first. Please look after this girl for me."
Upon hearing her words, Duan Ning paused in his face-wiping motion.
How many Senior Sister Lu does Yao Dingcheng have? Isn't it Lu Huaiwei from Yunhua Palace?
Duan Ning instinctively shouted, "Wait, are you from Yunhua Palace?"
The girl from before had already left, only Bai Ling remained beside him. She smiled modestly at Duan Ning and replied, "That's right."
Duan Ning's expression immediately changed.
Why are they from Yunhua Palace again!
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